Perth (Australia), Jan. 31 : The ICC Board on Saturday held the first day of its two-day meeting in Perth, the first of the four scheduled meetings it holds each year.

Among the matters discussed were the following:

Zimbabwe: A task team, headed by Dr Julian Hunte, the President of the West Indies Cricket Board, presented an interim report to the ICC Board. This followed a visit to Zimbabwe by Dr Hunte and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat in November last year.

When a timetable was drawn up last October it was always the intention to present an interim report at this meeting with a final report to be submitted at the next Board meeting, in Dubai in April.

Pending submission of that final report, the Board was told that none of the stakeholders spoken to during the visit were of the view that Zimbabwe was ready to return to Test cricket, with time frames proposed ranging from six months to two years or more.

The Board was informed that both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) had offered playing and administrative support to Zimbabwe Cricket.

Zimbabwe stepped back from Test cricket in January 2006.

Future Tours Programme (FTP) post-2012: With the BCCI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressing reservations about the idea of an enhanced Test championship, the Board agreed further consultation was necessary between ICC management and the ICC Chief Executives' Committee with a view to producing an acceptable model. It was further agreed this process would be led by ICC General Manager - Cricket David Richardson and would take place in the lead-up to and during the next CEC meeting, due to be held in Johannesburg in February.

The Board endorsed the view already expressed by both the CEC and the ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat that over-rates were a key issue to be addressed in international cricket and CEC's discussions should include consideration of ways to do this.

The current FTP concludes in May 2012.

Indian Cricket League (ICL): Consideration of the ICL's application for approval by the ICC was deferred pending further discussions between representatives of the BCCI, ICL and the ICC.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat will address the media at the WACA Ground in Perth on Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of the meeting. This is unlikely to happen before 5 p. m. local time (Perth is GMT +9 hours). (ANI)